Faculty

Soumen Paul, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Division of Cancer & Developmental Biology

Ph.D.: University of Calcutta, 2002
Postdoctoral: University of Wisconsin Madison, 2002-2007

Email: spaul2 @ kumc.edu
Paul Lab web site

Ph.D. students are welcome.  Contact me for more info.

 

Although cells of a multicellular organism are genetically homogenous, due to differential gene expression pattern they are different structurally and functionally. During the course of development tissue-specific gene expression arise due to epigenetic regulatory mechanisms that include activity of tissue specific transcription factors, changes in chromatin organization, and also RNA interferences. We use multidisciplinary, integrative approaches to understand the mechanisms of tissue-specific gene expression and to implement our understanding in pathological conditions.

A major goal of our laboratory is to dissect mechanisms to understand the molecular regulation of blood vessel formation (Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis) and vascular cell (Endothelial cell) specification and function. Angiogenesis is a key event in many physiological processes, like organ growth and development, wound healing, and reproduction, and is also critical for certain pathological disorders including tumor growth/metastasis. Thus, defining such mechanisms has enormous importance regarding vascular tissue engineering, promotion of endogenous regeneration as well as developing anti-angiogenic therapy against pathological angiogenesis. Therefore, to begin to dissect regulatory mechanisms of blood vessel formation, we are defining the transcriptional regulation of key genes during early vascular development and adult angiogenesis.

Selected Publications

Ray, S., Dutta, D., Rumi, M., Canham, L., Soares, M. J., and Paul, S. (2009) Context-Dependent Function of Regulatory Elements and Switch in Chromatin Occupancy between GATA3 and GATA2 regulate Gata2 trasncription during Trophoblast Differentiation. J. Biol. Chem. 284: 4978-4988.

Dutta, D., Ray, S., Vivian, J. L., and Paul, S. (2008) Activation of the VEGFR1 chromatin domain: An angiogenic signal-ETS1/HIF-2alpha regulatory axis. J. Biol.  Chem.  283:25404-25413.

Pal, S., Wu, J., Murray, J. K., Gellman, S. H., Wozniak, M. A., Keely, P. J., Boyer, M. E., Gomez, T. M., Hasso, S. M., Fallon J. F., and Bresnick, E. H. (2006) An Anti-Angiogenic Neurokinin-B/Thromboxane A2 Regulatory Axis. J. Cell  Biol. 174:1047-1058.

Grass, J. A., Jing, H., Kim, S. L., Martowicz, M. L., Pal, S., Blobel G. A., and Bresnick, E. H. (2006) Hematopoietic Regulation via GATA Factor Complexes Dispersed Over Broad Region of the GATA-2 Chromatin Domain. Mol. Cell  Biol. 26:7056-7067.

Pal, S., Nemeth, M. J., Bodine, D., Miller, J. L., Svaren, J., Thein, S. L., Lowry, P. J., and Bresnick, E. H. (2004) Neurokinin-B transcription in erythroid cells: Direct activation by the hematopoietic transcription factor GATA-1. J. Biol. Chem. 279:31348-31356.

Pal, S, Cantor, A. B., Johnson, K. D., Moran, T. B., Boyer, M. E., Orkin, S. H. and Bresnick, E. H. (2004) Coregulator-dependent facilitation of chromatin occupancy by GATA-1. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101: 980-985.